FlexJobs Highlights Notable Flexible Work Statistics from 2015

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Telecommuting grows 103% since 2005, up 6.5% in 2014 alone

"Telecommuting and other types of work flexibility are starting to have a much needed impact on the 21st century workplace, and there is no sign of it slowing down," said Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs.

Boulder, CO (PRWEB)December 15, 2015

As 2015 comes to a close, FlexJobs has compiled key statistics regarding the current state of flexible work in the United States. Based on data from Gallup, FlexJobs, GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, WorldatWork, and the Pew Research Center, these figures demonstrate positive growth in flexible working from previous years, while also highlighting key points that can lead to more widespread adoption by companies. Flexible work refers to work that is performed outside the parameters of the traditional in-office, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule.

“Flexible work is gaining great momentum, as we’ve seen from increases in the number of telecommuters in the workforce, as well as in the number of organizations supporting workplace for work flexibility options and initiatives,” said Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs, the leading online service for hand-screened telecommuting and flexible jobs. “Telecommuting and other types of work flexibility are starting to have a much needed impact on the 21st century workplace, and there is no sign of it slowing down. Flexible work will not only play a significant role in the future of work, it will be a key differential of successful employers.”

Five Important Flexible Work Statistics from 2015:

1. Occasional telecommuting is on the rise.
With major advances in technology over the past decade, the increase of people telecommuting, at least on an occasional basis, has grown with more professionals telecommuting than ever before. Results from Gallup’s annual Work and Education poll show that the average professional will telecommute roughly two days per month. Over the past decade, there has been an increase of about 30 percent, with 9 percent of professionals occasionally telecommuting in 1995 and 37 percent doing so in 2015. According to a FlexJobs survey, of those who telecommuted in 2014, 22 percent telecommuted more this year than last year.

2. At-home employees continue to increase steadily.
Consistent with the reported rise in occasional telecommuting, numbers of at-home employees and remote workers also continues to increase.GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com analyzed work-at-home population data since 2005, and reports a 103 percent growth in telecommuting, with a 6.5 percent increase in 2014 alone. This is the largest year over year increase in telework since the recession. A key reason for telecommuting’s popularity is the increased productivity of workers at home. A full 76 percent of people surveyed by FlexJobs said that when they need to get important work done, they avoid the office.

3. Organizations aren’t monitoring their ROI when it comes to flexible work.
Although a majority (89 percent) of organizations support workplace flexibility per a FlexJobs and World at Work study, 64 percent of companies don’t have formal policies around these programs and only 3 percent of organizations measure performance, engagement, and productivity to quantify ROI. These findings, in particular, highlight the opportunity on the company side for employers to create more formal policies that will attract and retain top-talent.

4. Millennials are now the largest generation in the workforce.
What does this mean for flexible work? With baby boomers coming into retirement age, younger generations are starting to voice and dictate how work will be performed. In 2015, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, millennials surpassed generation X to become the largest share of a generation in the workforce. For those still actively participating in the workforce, this means the approach to work, work habits, company culture, and information sharing will shift. According to another survey by FlexJobs, 85 percent of millennials would prefer to telecommute full-time and seek flexible work options for more work-life balance.

5. People want flexibility in their work for health reasons.
Health benefits and exercise are growing in popularity as a reason for wanting flexible work. According to a FlexJobs survey, 32 percent of respondents in 2015 said that flexible work would impact their health in a positive manner compared to 29 percent in 2013. In regards to exercise, 29 percent of respondents in 2015 would like flexible work for more time to exercise compared to 20 percent in 2013. Work-life balance remains the number one reason people seek flexible jobs, up 9 percent from 2014.

About FlexJobs
FlexJobs is the leading online service for professionals seeking telecommuting, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs. With flexible job listings in over 50 career categories, and opportunities ranging from entry-level to executive and freelance to full-time, FlexJobs offers job seekers a safe, easy, and efficient way to find professional and legitimate flexible job listings. Having helped over one million people in their job searches, FlexJobs has appeared on CNN and Marketplace Money and in TIME, Forbes, Fortune, and hundreds of other trusted media outlets. FlexJobs' Founder & CEO Sara Sutton Fell has also launched two additional partner sites, Remote.co and 1 Million for Work Flexibility, to help provide education and awareness about the viability and benefits of remote working and work flexibility.